Numerous protesters from the Cross Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, the party in power, claimed that their position had been taken during demonstrations that rocked the APC headquarters on Thursday.
The demonstrators attacked the National headquarters and engaged in combat with intimidating security personnel, demanding that Dr. Betty Edu’s former position as National Women Leader—which is now held by Edo State—be restored.
The demonstration occurred a few hours before the swearing-in of the newly elected members of the National Working Committee, NWC, despite the fact that they were denied entrance to the APC national secretariat.
They bemoaned that “the outgoing National Deputy Chairman for the North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, was replaced by Borno party chairman, Ali Dalori while the founder of Sister-To-Sister Empowerment Worldwide, Dr Mary Idele from Edo State was elected to occupy the office of the National Women Leader previously held by Dr Betta Edu.”
The protesters could be heard wailing, “This is injustice.”
A fresh set of elected zonal officials of the NWC were released by the National Working Committee on Wednesday in Abuja.
After the new officials were introduced, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the APC’s national secretary, said that the election of the new officers was in line with the directives provided to them during a meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton on 3 August 2023, in Abuja.